The Portland daily press., 1887-11-30
KeNNEBEc TIDE MILLS.
The Work Accomplished by Them
During the Closing Season.

BATH, Nov. 29.-The tide mills Of the lower
Kennebec have been very busy the past sea-
son. They have all been running with full
crews and have kept the small coasters
which are more or less dependent upon them
for business, constantly employed.
The season of 'S6 and that of the two
years preceding were far from profitable for
the tide-mill owing to the poor market for
lumber and the scarcity of logs. During
those seasons the market was so weak that
they were unable to compete with the large
steam mills at Bath, Richmond, and Gardi-
ner, even when they we've able to get logs
The larger mills not only took their BUSH
ness, but absorbed the logs as WE'LL buying
them up as fast as they were placed on the
market. Many of these steam mill owners,
notably the Shaws and the Bradstreets own
large tracts of timber land and are there by
not only able to get their logs cheaper, but
with greater degree of certainty. When
the spring freshets fail, as in 1886, and but
few logs are brought down, these large mills
take them all, and what few the tide mills
can buy from them are held at such high
figures that the profit is consumed before the
log reaches the schooner. With the excep-
tion of the cutting mill at the Reach. the
Crosby Mill at Mill Island, and one or two
mills at Winnegance, the tide mills had not
"histed" for saving for number of years,
up to this spring. The condition of the peo-
pie of the milling community OF Winnegance
was deplorable. Many sought work else
where. Mr.. John Morse built schooner
which gave temporary employmentto to others,
but for the many the period of idlenesS in
the mills was season of hardshlps.
The spring of 1887 brought abundant
freshets, and consequently abundant logs.
jacent States, whose work the previous year
had been handicapped by labor troubles, be-
gan to build furiously to regain lost time:
This made a good market for lumber, and
paved the way for a grand revival among
season proved brisk beyond the most SAN
guine expectations. Nearly all the mills ran
to their full capacity, and men received good
wages, $1.65 to So per day, $3.50 for head
sawyer. The combined product Of the tide
million feet, the most of which went to the
Boston market at $14 to $1425 per M. The
small coasting schooners were given more
than they could do at the rate OF S1.75 to w
per M. Schooners became scarce at the
close of the season, and commanded pre-
MUM.
This era of prosperity for the mills of the
lower Kennebec has greatly helped Winnie
gance and the other localities wherein mills
are located, and given the mill owners cour-
age to make long needed improvements.
The steam mill of M. G. Shaw q Son at
Bath has placed $1,000 four sided planer by
Lewellyn Adams, who has also placed fine
planer in the mill of I. B. Getting & Son.
The mills of the lower Kennebec do not
insure with two exceptions-that of the
Spinney Mill and the Crosby Mill, both of
which have made extensive repairs and carry
insurance. The charge for insuring tide
mills is very high for some reason unknown
to many mill men.
The next season bids fair to equal the
season CT 1887, in which case the tide-mill
men of the lower Kennebec will have cour-
age to believe that the big steam mills have
not entirely robbed them OF their business.